


it won't be too long till

by annemari



Category: One Direction (Band), Radio 1 RPF
Genre: M/M, coming home
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-09
Updated: 2014-03-09
Packaged: 2018-01-15 03:24:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1289374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annemari/pseuds/annemari
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Puppy stops barking, and Nick almost has a heart attack when he sees the bedroom door open before he realises it <i>must</i> be someone who knows him, someone who has a key, surely.</p><p>He doesn't expect it to be Harry.</p>
            </blockquote>





	it won't be too long till

**Author's Note:**

> Written for **greedy_dancer** 's prompt, "collarbone kiss"; originally [posted](http://underthisweather.tumblr.com/post/79052859172/11-collarbone-kiss-nick-harry-of-course-p) on my tumblr. Thanks to **eloiserummaging** for looking it over for me! Title from "Changes" by FAUL  & Wad Ad vs Pnau.

Nick feels like he's ready to cry when he gets off his bike. He's not going to, but that's what he feels like. No one should ever spend three hours on a bike. No one. Ever.

But of course he'll have to do four times that soon. (Hey, at least he's not gone far enough that he can't do simple math. Small victories.)

His legs ache so much while everything else has gone kind of numb. He can feel his _bones_ , though. His bones. It's terrible. He won't speak of his bum.

He grinds his teeth together and walks slowly to the bedroom. Collette left an hour ago, wishing him good luck for the last hour of today's training and all, but she still _left_ him. Alone with just Puppy and the bike. Nick hates the bike. He hates how bored he gets and how his brain will start going around in circles and he hates everything about it. He's tired of it. He's earned a nap.

He hates naps, too, but he can't move or think or do anything without some part of him crying out, so he doesn't have much of a choice.

Puppy follows him into the bedroom, ready to jump on the bed with him if he allows it. He gives her a long look. She stares back.

Finally he sighs and shakes his head. He kind of wants a cuddle but he usually saves that for when he's hungover. "Not today, Puppy. Go on, go back to your bed. Or go play or something. Don't destroy anything, alright?"

She seems to sigh as well and trots back out into the living room. He has no idea how she's a genius sometimes and the next minute she'll try to eat flowers right from the vase.

Nick closes the door behind her and drops down onto the bed. He groans and curls up around a pillow. He'll just close his eyes for a minute. (He has no idea how he'll get out of bed later, but he has faith moving will be easier by then.)

When he startles awake it's dark in his room and Puppy is barking. He turns onto his back and sits up fast, which is absolutely not a good idea. _So_ not a good idea. His arse hurts in ways he couldn't really have imagined—and that's saying a lot, really—and he fucked his neck up while sleeping, so pretty much every inch of him feels sore.

Puppy stops barking, and Nick almost has a heart attack when he sees the bedroom door open before he realises it _must_ be someone who knows him, someone who has a key, surely.

He _doesn't_ expect it to be Harry.

Harry closes the door after him and is on the bed before Nick has time to react, time to make sense of Harry's sudden appearance.

"Hey," Harry says, and wraps his arms around Nick. Nick hugs him back automatically. Harry's hair tickles his nose. He kind of feels like laughing.

"I thought you were back next week?"

"Back today," Harry says, which, yeah, Nick can _see_.

"Yeah, but you _said_ you were coming back next week," Nick says. Harry still hasn't moved away. Nick lifts his hand and pets Harry's hair.

"Changed my mind," Harry says. It's mostly muffled against Nick's neck.

Nick squeezes him tighter with one hand, and says, "Okay." He's confused, that regular kind of confused that comes after an unexpected nap, and also that kind of confused that comes from Harry Styles showing up unexpectedly on your doorstep. Or in your bedroom.

"Okay?" Harry asks. "Can I stay here?"

"Of course," Nick says, because, really, he's never gonna say no, is he? "Are you tired from the flight? Do you want anything? Tea? You'll have to make it, though, my legs don't work."

Harry finally pulls back at that and Nick gets a good look at him. Well, he reaches behind him and turns on his bedroom light and _then_ he gets a good look at him. Harry's hair is still long, still pushed back—a nice floral headband this time—and he looks tan and exhausted.

"You look knackered, love," Nick says softly.

"What's wrong with your legs?" Harry asks, sounding both confused and concerned.

Nick tilts his head towards the direction of the living room, where his bike sits. Harry probably didn't even notice it. "Training for the bike thing."

"Oh," Harry says, and his expression clears. "Yeah, I remember. That bad?"

Nick pulls a self-deprecating face. "Yeah, well. Uh. Yeah."

Harry laughs softly and Nick feels instantly better. Embarrassing, that, but he's gotten used to it.

"My bum muscles hurt, too," Nick says. "It's horrible."

"You don't have bum muscles," Harry says.

"I could have."

"Nah," Harry says.

"I will after this. Either that or I won't have anything left down there."

Harry looks comically horrified and Nick laughs. He wants to pull Harry close to him again. His arse is _really_ starting to hurt from sitting. He shifts around and curses quietly.

"You should lie down," Harry says, instantly getting it.

"Yeah," Nick says. "Probably." He slowly lies down on his back and pulls his legs up because somehow that hurts less. "You should help yourself to the kitchen."

"Nah," Harry says. "Too tired."

He looks it from this angle, the light emphasising the circles under his eyes.

"Are you okay?" Nick has to ask.

Harry looks down and nods. "I can stay here, right?"

"Of course, I told you."

Harry lets out a breath and lies down next to Nick, close enough to rest his head against Nick's shoulder.

"I'm really tired, 's all," he says. "I mean, like, I'm fine and all. Just. Tired. I don't know if I can sleep."

"That's okay," Nick says. He definitely can't fall back asleep right this moment. He's not sure what time it is, but he feels weirdly awake after his nap. "You can just stay here."

"Can you—I—what did I miss? Can you tell me? What you've been up to? I mean, I got all your texts, but I wanna hear it. Could you tell me?"

"Of course," Nick says. "What should I start with?"

"Anything," Harry says. "Please?" He sounds tired and young and Nick wants to wrap him up close and make him sleep for twenty-four hours straight.

"Did you see the pictures of my beard?" Nick asks. "Fifi said it was just a stubble, but it could have been, like, a real beard. Got so fucking itchy, though. I'll show you the pics later."

"I saw," Harry says. "Of course I saw."

"I think I might try again after the bike challenge," Nick says. "I'd get a comb for it and everything. Proper fancy."

"Mmh," Harry says. "You'd get bored of it."

"Maybe. Also you couldn't appreciate my flawless bone structure then."

Harry huffs out a laugh, and turns on his side, moving even closer to Nick. It'll get too hot for Nick soon, but he's never been able to push Harry away.

"Do you think Puppy would recognise me with a beard?" Nick asks. "Like if I went away and came back with a beard. Would she lose it?"

"Maybe," Harry says. "Don't go away."

Nick swallows. "You should try it," he says. "Grow a beard, see if she recognises you when you come back."

"Don't want to," Harry says. Nick doesn't ask what exactly he doesn't want.

"Doesn't she know me by smell anyway?" Harry asks. "That doesn't make sense."

"Maybe," Nick says. "Oh, did I tell you they had embarrassing stories about me on? Collette told this—oh god, it was so bad. I'll tell you about it later, otherwise you'll have nightmares."

"Okay," Harry agrees. He's sounding more and more tired by the minute.

"I'll tell you tomorrow before breakfast," Nick says. "During breakfast. Appropriate time for that story." He won't because he's kind of over-invested in Harry getting enough food and sleep, but still.

"Okay," Harry says again. "Tell me other things now. I missed you."

Nick feels something in his chest clench. "Yeah," he says. "Me too."

"Yeah," Harry echoes, and moves to rest his head on Nick's shoulder. His mouth brushes against Nick's collarbone, just for a moment. His arm's thrown over Nick's stomach. Nick wants to card his fingers through Harry's hair.

"Tell me," Harry says quietly, sleepily. "Tell me more stories."

Nick moves his hand to Harry's back and starts telling him about trying on different cycling shorts. Harry falls asleep soon enough, snuffling against Nick's neck. Nick strokes his back and just focuses on Harry being _here_.


End file.
